Foil container with foil bags arranged next to one another

ABSTRACT

A foil container ( 11 ) has two foil bags ( 12, 16 ) arranged next to one another for components of a multi-component compound which are stored separately from one another and has a one-piece head part ( 21 ), a head part ( 21 ) having a base plate ( 22 ) having a contact side ( 23 ) at which a first receptacle portion ( 24 ) is provided for an end of the first foil bag ( 12 ) and a second receptacle portion ( 25 ) is provided for an end of the second foil bag ( 16 ), a mixer connection ( 31 ) projecting from a side ( 26 ) of the base plate opposite the contact side ( 23 ), the mixer connection ( 31 ) having a first outlet channel ( 38 ) with a first outlet opening at its free end ( 37 ) for one of the components of the multi-component compound and a second outlet channel ( 35 ) with a second outlet opening at its free end ( 37 ) for at least one additional component of the multi-component compound, with the first outlet channel ( 38 ) being divided at least in the area of the free end ( 37 ) of the mixer connection ( 31 ) into two separate partial channels ( 33, 34 ), between which the second outlet channel ( 35 ) is arranged, and with the base plate ( 22 ) having a first passage channel ( 27 ) for joining the first receptacle portion ( 24 ) with the first outlet channel ( 38 ) and a second passage channel ( 28 ) for joining the second receptacle portion ( 25 ) with the second outlet channel ( 35 ).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a foil container for storing andinserting into a receptacle of a pressing-out device and having two foilbags arranged next to one another for components of a multi-componentcompound which are stored separately from one another, a head part whichhas a base plate having a contact side with a first receptacle portionfor an end of the first foil bag and a second receptacle portion for anend of the second foil bag, and with a mixer connection projecting fromthe side of the base plate opposite the contact side, the mixerconnection having a first outlet channel with a first outlet opening atits free end for one of the components of the multi-component compoundand a second outlet channel with a second outlet opening at its free endfor at least one additional component of the multi-component compound,and wherein a first passage channel for joining the first receptacleportion with the first outlet channel and a second passage channel forjoining the second receptacle portion with the second outlet channel areprovided at the base plate.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Multi-component compounds such as, for example, mortar compounds, foamcompounds and sealing compounds are made available to the user astwo-component or multi-component compounds in cartridges and foilcontainers. Foil containers have proven successful as packaging forcompounds of this type and are distinguished in particular by the smallproportion of material to be disposed of after the compound is dispensedcompared to cartridges. Further, foil containers are simple andinexpensive to produce.

The foil container is inserted or guided into a receptacle of apressing-out device such as, e.g., a dispenser. The components arepressed out simultaneously through the outlet channels in the mixerconnection of the head part by a pressing-out mechanism so as to beguided through a mixer housing with a mixer element in which theindividual components are mixed to form the desired compound and aredispensed at the application location.

German Utility Model DE 91 00 054 U1 discloses a foil container with twofoil bags arranged side by side. The mixer connection of the head parthas a dividing wall for creating two outlet channels located next to oneanother, each of them feeding one component of the two-componentcompound to a mixer element. This feeding in the mixer connection isalso known as a side-by-side feed.

The known solution is disadvantageous in that, owing to the dividingwall in the mixer connection, the components flow parallel next to oneanother along the inner wall of the mixer connection when the foilcontainer is squeezed. Accordingly, a high mixing energy or a longmixing path with a correspondingly designed mixer element is requiredfor a sufficiently thorough mixing of the components. Consequently, highpressing-out forces are required for dispensing the multi-componentcompound.

German Publication DE 41 38 351 A1 discloses a mixer housing which canbe secured to a head part and which has a mixing element. The mixerhousing has a receptacle for a pre-mixer which is arranged in front ofthe mixing element and which is constructed as a separate element. Thepre-mixer deforms the flow of components exiting from the mixerconnection in a side-by-side feed to form segment-shaped layers whichare fed to the mixing element in the mixer housing. This improves themixing of the components in the mixing element, reducing the requiredmixing path and the pressing-out forces needed to dispense thecomponents arranged in the foil container.

It is disadvantageous in the known solution that the pre-mixer is aseparate element which can be accidentally lost, for example, and thatthe mixer housing for the mixing element must have a special shape forreceiving the pre-mixer. Therefore, commercially available mixerhousings cannot be used.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of the invention to provide a foil container with twofoil bags which are arranged next to one another and with a head partwhich insures uniform mixing results over the entire pressing-outprocess with different types of mixer elements and with reducedpressing-out forces, and which is simple to produce.

This and other objects of the present invention, which will becomeapparent hereinafter, are achieved by providing a foil container inwhich the first outlet channel is divided at least in the area of thefree end of the mixer connection into two separate partial channelsbetween which the second outlet channel is located.

The second outlet channel spaces apart the two partial channels from oneanother in such a way that they are completely separated from oneanother at least in the area of the free end of the mixer connection.When dispensed from the foil container, the flows of all components aredivided into segments directly in the head part which is advantageouslyformed of one piece in its entirety. The flow of at least one componentis enclosed on at least two sides by the divided flow of the othercomponent. Conventional mixer housings can be arranged at the mixerconnection and, because of the divided or pre-divided components, themixing elements arranged therein can be formed substantially shorterthan in the previously known foil containers, while ensuring consistentmixing results.

Further, the foil bags in the foil container according to the presentinvention can be spaced farther apart than in the previously known foilcontainers, without forming undercuts which substantially impedeproduction, especially of a head part formed of one piece. The improvedflexibility of spacing allows much larger ranges of component ratios tobe achieved with the foil container according to the invention. Forexample, foil containers with a component ratio of 1:1 to 10:1 or evengreater can be realized. In particular, simple foil containers with acomponent ratio of 5:1 can be realized.

The mixer connection advantageously has a circular outlet, and thesecond outlet channel completely intersects the circle and forms atleast two separated circle segments adjacent to one another which formthe partial channels of the first outlet channel.

The head part is advantageously made of a plastic material by injectionmolding and, also advantageously, is formed in one piece. Thearrangement of the second outlet channel in the first outlet channelensures a simple removal from the mold. Aside from facilitating removalfrom the mold, the sealing of the mixer connection with the head part isalso improved by the simpler geometry of the head part which isadvantageously formed of one piece.

The dividing walls of the partial channels which separate them from thesecond outlet channel, are preferably formed integrally with the mixerconnection so that the quantity of elements for manufacturing andhandling the foil container is reduced. The entire head part isadvantageously formed of one piece and the foil bags are glued into thecorresponding receptacle portions. Thereby, the foil container can beproduced simply and economically.

The cross-sectional areas of the two partial channels are preferablyidentical in a plane parallel to a plane defined by the base plate sothat the flows of components are divided symmetrically, and an optimumuse is made of all of the chambers of the advantageously static mixingelement, starting already from the first mixing step. When the mixerconnection has a circular outlet, the second outlet channeladvantageously extends through its center, so that the double rotationalsymmetry insures that the flows of all components are always divided inequal portions, in an optional step, through the center or through thecircle center.

The ratio of the sum of cross-sectional areas of the two partialchannels to the cross-sectional area of the second outlet channeladvantageously corresponds to the ratio of the cross-sectional area ofthe first foil bag to the cross-sectional area of the second foil bag,with reference to a plane parallel to the plane defined by the baseplate. This insures advantageous mixing results are ensured.

The novel features of the present invention which are considered ascharacteristic for the invention, are set forth in the appended claims.The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its modeof operation, together with additional advantages and objects thereof,will be best understood from the following detailed description ofpreferred embodiment, when read with reference to the accompanyingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings show:

FIG. 1 a partial, cross-sectional view of a foil container according tothe present invention;

FIG. 2 a plan view of the head part along line II-II in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 a plan view of the head part along line III-III in FIG. 1,without the foil bags.

Identical parts are provided with the same reference numerals in thedrawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The foil container 11 according to the present invention for storing andfor insertion into a receptacle of a pressing-out device, not shown, andwhich is shown in FIGS. 1-3, has two foil bags 12 and 16 for componentsof a multi-component compound which are stored separately from oneanother. The foil bags 12 and 16 are arranged next to one another. Witha two-component compound, each foil bag 12 and 16 has one of thecomponents. With a compound formed of more than two components, at leastone of the foil bags 12 or 16 can have a corresponding number of foilbag chambers arranged next to one another so that a plurality ofcomponents are stored separately from one another in a foil bag.

Further, the foil container 11 has a one-piece head part 21 with a baseplate 22 having, at a contact side 23, a first receptacle portion 24 forone end of the first foil bag 12 and a second receptacle portion 25 forone end of the second foil bag 16. A mixer connection 31 with anexternal thread 32 for the connection of a mixer housing 41 with a mixerelement 42 is provided at a side 26 of the base plate 22 locatedopposite from the contact side 23. Arranged in the mixer connection 31are a first outlet channel 38 with a first outlet opening at its freeend 37 for one of the components of the multi-component compound and asecond outlet channel 35 with a second outlet opening at its free end 37for at least one other component of the multi-component compound. In anarea of the free end 37 of the mixer connection 31, the first outletchannel 38 is divided into two partial channels 33 and 34 which arecompletely separated from one another and between which the secondoutlet channel 35 is arranged. Further, a first passage channel 27 forjoining the first receptacle portion 24 with the first outlet channel 38or with its partial channels 33 and 34 and a second passage channel 28for joining the second receptacle portion 25 with the second outletchannel 35 are provided in the base plate 22.

During the pressing-out process with the press-out device, not shown,the foil bags 12 and 16 are opened, for example, actively by puncturingmeans or passively, e.g., by a weakening of the foil, whereby thecomponents of the multi-component compound located in the foil bag 12are dispensed from the foil container 11 through the first passagechannel 27, the first outlet channel 38 and the partial channels 33 and34 which are separated from one another, and the components of themulti-component compound located in foil bag 16 are dispensed from thefoil container 11 through the second passage channel 28 and the secondoutlet channel 35. In a variant of this construction, at least one ofthe foil bags is provided in some areas with at least one weakening ofthe foil material so that this foil bag is torn, and accordingly opened,for example, under pressure generated by a pressing-out piston of thepressing-out device, not shown.

The outlet of the mixer connection 31 has a substantially circular crosssection. The cross-sectional areas of the two partial channels 33 and 34in a plane parallel to the plane E1, which is defined by the base plate22, substantially correspond to circle segments and are of identicaldimensions.

The ratio of the cross-sectional area of the sum of the partial channels33 and 34 to the cross-sectional area of the second outlet channel 35corresponds to the ratio of the cross-sectional area of the first foilbag 12 to the cross-sectional area of the second foil bag 16 withreference to a plane parallel to the plane E1 defined by the base plate22.

The second outlet channel 35 and the second passage channel 28 arearranged parallel to one another in direction of the plane E1 defined bythe base plate 22. To create a through-opening 36 for the componentlocated in the foil bag 16 between the second outlet channel 35 and thesecond passage channel 28, the latter at least touch one another along aportion, or their cross sections intersect or overlap in some areas. Thepartial channels 33 and 34 of the first outlet channel 38 and the firstpassage channel 27 are arranged parallel to one another in direction ofthe plane E1 defined by the base plate, and their cross sectionsintersect or overlap in some areas. The head part 21 accordingly has ageometric shape which ensures that it can be produced in a simplemanner, particularly when the head part 21 is formed of one piece and/orby injection molding. The production of a one-piece head part 21 ispossible, for example, with simple mold forms which are only movedperpendicular to the plane E1 defined by the base plate 22.

Though the present invention was shown and described with references tothe preferred embodiment, such is merely illustrative of the presentinvention and is not to be construed as a limitation thereof, andvarious modifications of the present invention will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art. It is, therefore, not intended that the presentinvention be limited to the disclosed embodiment or details thereof, andthe present invention includes all variations and/or alternativeembodiments within the spirit and scope of the present invention asdefined by the appended claims.

1. A foil container for storing and inserting into a receptacle of apressing-out device, comprising two foil bags (12, 16) arranged next toone another for components of a multi-component compound which arestored separately from one another; a head part (21) having a base plate(22) having a contact side (23) provided with a first receptacle portion(24) for an end of the first foil bag (12) and a second receptacleportion (25) for an end of the second foil bag (16); and a mixerconnection (31) projecting from a side (26) of the base plate (22)opposite to the contact side (23), the mixer connection (31) having afirst outlet channel (38) with a first outlet opening at its free end(37) for one of the components of the multi-component compound and asecond outlet channel (35) with a second outlet opening at its free end(37) for at least one additional component of the multi-componentcompound, the first outlet channel (38) being divided at least in thearea of the free end (37) of the mixer connection (31) into two separatepartial channels (33, 34) between which the second outlet channel (35)is arranged, the base plate (22) having a first passage channel (27) forjoining the first receptacle portion (24) with the first outlet channel(38) and a second passage channel (28) for joining the second receptacleportion (25) with the second outlet channel (35).
 2. A foil containeraccording to claim 1, wherein dividing walls separating the partialchannels (33, 34) from the second outlet channel (35) are formedintegral with the mixer connection (31).
 3. A foil container accordingto claim 1, wherein a cross-sectional areas of the two partial channels(33, 34) are identically dimensioned in a plane parallel to a plane (El)defined by the base plate (22).
 4. A foil container according to claim1, wherein a ratio of the sum of cross-sectional areas of the partialchannels (33, 34) to a cross-sectional area of the second outlet channel(35) corresponds to a ratio of a cross-sectional area of the first foilbag (12) to a cross-sectional area of the second foil bag (16), withreference to a plane parallel to the plane (E1) defined by the baseplate (22).